Shiro (clone)
Clone Shiro is one of the dozens of clones of Shiro created by Haggar as part of Operation Kuron. He is the only known clone to have been activated and successfully infiltrate Team Voltron. He first appears after Shiro mysteriously vanishes following Voltron's defeat during the Season 2 finale. Apart from chronic headaches and feeling "off", he never seems aware that he's a clone; even after Haggar turns him against Team Voltron and he battles Keith. Once subdued, Allura transfers Shiro's spirit from the Black Lion into the clone's body, restoring Shiro's physical existence. Appearance When not on a mission, Clone Shiro's casual wear is very similar to original Shiro's, except his vest is navy blue with the collar zipped up, and his undershirt is cropped at the elbows. It's also worth noting that his white streak appears denser and more upright. Abilities Though his connection with the Black Lion diminished after Keith embraced his role as Black Paladin, Clone Shiro displayed piloting skills on par with original Shiro. To create the highest quality replica, the advanced cloning process used by Haggar and her Druids removes many physical defects from the source material. In Shiro's case, the body of his clone shed his muscular dystrophy (the decay of muscle tissue)SDCC 2018: Voltron's Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos. So if anything, Clone Shiro is able to rest less, and react quicker with more precision when flying compared with real Shiro. This also explained how the original Shiro, who currently inhabiting the clone's body, has slight advantage upon fighting Sendak for a second time into a stalemate. Clone Shiro's reputation as a fighter cannot be overstated similar to the original. He singlehandedly defeated Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and Allura while under Haggar's control, and later fought Keith to a standstill. It appeared that without restraint from his humanity and compassion, Clone Shiro proved himself to be a much more powerful and deadlier opponent. Though it appeared that this clone's prosthetic arm is identical to the original Shiro's, the clone's demonstrates many more abilities that the original Shiro may not have had access to. Clone Shiro's arm could channel the energy generated by his hand to form an energy blade, and "grow" into an almost primal, razor clawed, jagged-armored form capable of emitting it's energy as deadly laser blasts akin to the ion cannon of a Galran battleship. Said energy weapon was capable of destroying nearly the entire Clone Factory. The prosthetic arm was sliced off by Keith, and later replaced with an advanced Earth-made prosthetic after Team Voltron arrived on earth. Personality Personality-wise, Clone Shiro behaves just like the original. Shiro's mannerisms, vocal inflexions, traits and quirks have been replicated so perfectly that none of his friends, not even Keith, can tell the difference. However, astute watchers may have felt that Season 3-6 Shiro was slightly standoffish, asserted his authority more and dismissed criticism. He yelled at the Team on multiple occasions and passed several opportunities to give sage advice and support. His biggest outburst occurred when the team was debating whether to endorse Lotor as Emperor. Lance insisted that Lotor cannot be trusted, and Clone Shiro responds, telling him "I told you to stay out of this!". This deviation from Shiro's mellow, nurturing attitude may be the result of imperfect cloning or a mental breakdown. Upon being controlled by Haggar, Clone Shiro displays a murderous, psychotic personality. He dispatches his team and recaptures Lotor silently and remorselessly, but taunts Keith during their fight, saying that he'd killed them. He fights with precision and manic energy, weakening his opponent by telling Keith that he's worthless, and wished he'd never adopted him. This ruthless, vindictive style of combat mirrors Haggar's attack on Shiro in Season 2 when she torments him with visions of an evil version of himself. Trivia *Josh Keaton, the voice actor of both original and clone Shiros, wanted all versions of his character to sound different.AfterBuzzTV: "Voltron: Season 6 Episodes 5 & 6 Review & Reaction with Josh Keaton and Bex Taylor-Klaus", June 2018 For the clone, he wanted his voice to reflect that the clone is more aggressive and not as patient, contrasting the original Shiro sounding softer and more patient. *The clone is widely referred to as "Kuron" by the fanbase, to differentiate him easily from the real Shiro. *When the deception of his identity was lifted at one of Haggar/Honerva's outposts, his presence after the transformation of his bionic prosthesis made Shiro/Kuron take after the appearance of a Robeast. References Category:Voltron: Legendary Defender characters Category:Antagonists